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Tulowitzki injured as Rockies fall to Pirates 3-2

Published on NewsOK
Modified: July 19, 2014 at 11:00 pm •
Published: July 19, 2014

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Troy Tulowitzki sent a slow roller to shortstop and sprinted to first. The All-Star shortstop was a few steps from the bag when he suddenly grabbed his left leg and grimaced before gingerly making his way to the dugout.

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) grimaces as he walks back to the dugout after grounding out to end the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh Saturday, July 19, 2014. Tulowitzki left the game.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Not even the MVP contender is immune to what is quickly becoming another painful summer for the Colorado Rockies.

Tulowitzki left in the fourth inning with what the team said is a cramp. Minus their franchise cornerstone, the Rockies fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 in 11 innings on Saturday night.

"Nothing serious," said Tulowitzki, who leads the majors in batting average (.340) and runs (71). "We'll see how I wake up (Sunday). The good news is I don't think I tore anything or did anything to where I'm going to miss an extended period of time."

A small victory, maybe, on another lost night for the Rockies. Colorado has dropped four straight and is 12-30 since June 1.

The Rockies had their chances. They took a 2-1 lead on Carlos Gonzalez's two-run shot off Charlie Morton in the seventh and had runners on the corners with one out in the 11th. Charlie Blackmon's liner back to the mound was snagged by Pittsburgh reliever Jared Hughes (5-2), who flipped to third for a double play.

"I threw the pitch, it was going to where I wanted it to, and he did an excellent job of getting to it and hitting a line drive. I did not see it," Hughes said. "I feel like it just went right into my glove."

The Pirates didn't let the good fortune go to waste.

Neil Walker led off the inning with a single against Chad Bettis (0-2), moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored one batter later when Jordy Mercer hit a drive deep into the gap in left-center.

"I was seeing the ball well, but those situations you just kind of slow down," Mercer said. "In those situations, everybody is amped up. Take a deep breath, get something to hit and put a good swing on it."

The Pirates improved to 23-17 in one-run games this season, including 16-8 at home.

"We feel like we're never out of anything, especially in this ballpark," Mercer said. "We just kind of feed off each other and string together some good at-bats, and good things happen."

Colorado starter Brett Anderson, acquired in a trade from Oakland last December following a humbling season in which he went from Opening Day starter to the bullpen, spent seven innings keeping Pittsburgh off balance with a dizzying array of breaking balls.